This is what baseball is like for a small market team. If it goes through, I think it will be an okay deal. I would have liked to see a couple more prospects on top of Soler though. We still need a starter and I would like to see if they could bring Holland back on a cheap deal.

This also probably means Cain and/or Dyson are gone as well. I could see a rotating DH of Moose/Cuthbert/Soler depending on what other moves happen.

I think this is a direct effect of the new CBA that was agreed upon last week. We'll get less out of these guys as rent-a-players at the deadline if we aren't competing so they are going to unload the ones they think they can't extend now for better talent. The CBA is now less favorable if you carry them all year and let them walk as free agents and take the extra draft picks like it used to be as now there's no guarantee you get decent picks out of letting them walk from a qualifying offer like there used to be.

Soler is better than Orlando or Dyson so as of now I think they actually made the team better considering Herrera can close. They really need someone to replace the Hochever role though if they want to get through innings 6, 7, 8 and maintain a lead. I'm sure they'll trade off more talent and likely get slightly worse but I don't think they are going into Houston Astros intentional tank mode or anything.

Since the Royals and Cubs are my teams, I see this as a pretty good deal. Soler was hindered by Cubs lineup that was stacked in his position, and will probably do well in Kansas City. The Cubs needed a closer with Chapman's likely departure. Individually this isn't a bad move, but overall will depend on what else they manage to make happen.

I think this is a direct effect of the new CBA that was agreed upon last week. We'll get less out of these guys as rent-a-players at the deadline if we aren't competing so they are going to unload the ones they think they can't extend now for better talent. The CBA is now less favorable if you carry them all year and let them walk as free agents and take the extra draft picks like it used to be as now there's no guarantee you get decent picks out of letting them walk from a qualifying offer like there used to be.

Soler is better than Orlando or Dyson so as of now I think they actually made the team better considering Herrera can close. They really need someone to replace the Hochever role though if they want to get through innings 6, 7, 8 and maintain a lead. I'm sure they'll trade off more talent and likely get slightly worse but I don't think they are going into Houston Astros intentional tank mode or anything.

Definitely agree with the CBA comment. Thats why I think there are quite a few more known names that will be leaving soon.

With Soler we have him and Gordon in the outfield as well as some solid prospects and Orlando out there as well. The outfield will still be stout if and when we trade Cain. Infield we are fine as well if Moose and Escy go. Cuthbert, Mondesi, Colon, Merrifield and Dozier are all there ready for their shot as an every day bigs player.

Im actually not upset that these "big" names will be leaving because of the depth that Moore has built. This isnt like the days of trading off Beltran, Dye, Damon etc etc and having nothing behind them.

If our every day infield was Hosmer 1B, Merrifield 2B, Mondesi SS and Dozier/Cuthbert 3B then id still be psyched. Just will suck that Moose's last play as a Royal cost him the season.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmosM3

Since the Royals and Cubs are my teams, I see this as a pretty good deal. Soler was hindered by Cubs lineup that was stacked in his position, and will probably do well in Kansas City. The Cubs needed a closer with Chapman's likely departure. Individually this isn't a bad move, but overall will depend on what else they manage to make happen.

There are rumors now that we are back in the running for Holland.

Previously it was thought that there was no way we'd get him back with how hot the closer market is now. I think we made this trade so that we can actually get him back. Holland was big on the Cubs radar so we effectively took them out of the market for him unless they try to do a Davis/Holland combo like we had.

Melancon got a big contract and there is still Chapman to go to either the Yankees, Dodgers, Nationals or Marlins. Most likely the Yankees with the Dodgers taking Jansen back. We could end up in a fight with the Nats and Marlins over Holland which would suck.

They are so worried about 2017 free agency that its costing us in terms of being aggressive in the 2017 actual season.

They are so worried about 2017 free agency that its costing us in terms of being aggressive in the 2017 actual season.

What's really keeping us from being aggressive is all the dead money in the soria and Gordon deals. At least kennedy earned his money last year. Having soria and Gordon not be awful this year will be just as good as signing a top flight reliever and an all star outfielder. I'm hopeful they'll both bounce back at least to being above average players abs not awful.

We needed another starter and even though Dyson was a fan favorite he wasn't an everyday player for us with Soler coming in. Hell with our depth in the outfield he might not have seen much else than pinch running and we have Gore for that who is faster and better at stealing bases.

He's the only one out of Moose, Escy or Cain that I care to resign. Like all the guys a lot but we have no prospects at 1B. We are deep at all the other spots. If we aren't in a position to make a run at the deadline then get whatever we can for those three then pay Hos to stay.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Perhaps the Royals and Danny Duffy thought Kansas City sports fans could use some good news.

The team announced a $65 million, five-year contract with the popular left-hander on Monday, ensuring he will remain with the Royals through the 2021 season. Duffy was eligible for arbitration and could have become a free agent after the upcoming season.

Instead, he will earn $5 million this year before a bump to $14 million in 2018. He will make $15.25 million each in 2019 and 2020 and $15.5 million in the final year of the deal.

"Danny has been great. He has one of the best arms in all of baseball," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said earlier this offseason. "The fact that he's left-handed makes him more special and separates him even more. He's the kind of pitcher we all envision."

Duffy and Moore are expected to attend a news conference Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium.

The contract was announced the day after the Chiefs, whose Arrowhead Stadium sits a few hundred yards from Kauffman Stadium in the same sports complex, lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs.

Good timing for fans who had been expecting a long postseason run.

Now, they can turn their attention to a season of big expectations for the Royals, who missed out on the playoffs last season after back-to-back World Series appearances. They return most of the major pieces from a team that contended until late in the season, and the move to keep Duffy as a cornerstone of their rotation should only embolden the franchise going forward.

The 27-year-old left-hander emerged from the bullpen to set career highs in wins, starts and innings pitched while going 12-3 last year. Kansas City was 17-9 in his 26 starts.

Duffy won 10 straight decisions from June 11 to August 21, one shy of the franchise record shared by Rich Gale and Paul Splittorf. He also set a franchise record with 16 strikeouts against Tampa Bay on Aug. 1, and he hasn't lost at Kauffman Stadium in his last 15 starts.

Perhaps most importantly, his new contract takes one more star out of free-agency limbo.

All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer, who agreed to a $12.25 million deal to avoid arbitration last week, can become a free agent next year. So can outfielder Lorenzo Cain, third baseman Mike Moustakas and shortstop Alcides Escobar -- all former All-Stars -- and veteran left-hander Jason Vargas.

"We'll try to sign as many of our young guys as we can to long-term contracts. We won't be able to sign them all, as you know," Moore said. "That's something we'll have to figure out, and I'm accountable for figuring that out But I want to make it very clear, from the first day I took this job, we always tried to put the best team we could on the field each and every night."

The decision to pay Duffy doesn't come without a gamble.

He has been a roller-coaster as a starting pitcher much of his career, spending long stretches in the bullpen, and has never started more than 26 games in a season. He also underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012, though his movement and velocity are better now than they were prior to the injury.

Still, the deal represents another investment in the future by Moore, a signal that the general manager is not content simply to try to win next season and go through a wholesale rebuild.

In recent years, Moore has signed catcher Salvador Perez to a $52.5 million, six-year contract; outfielder Alex Gordon to a $72 million, four-year deal; right-hander Ian Kennedy to a $70 million, five-year deal; and young flamethrower Yordano Ventura to a $24 million, five-year deal.

Moore also traded All-Star closer Wade Davis to the Chicago Cubs earlier this offseason for young outfielder Jorge Soler, who is signed through the 2020 season.

The whole idea is to expand the Royals' window to compete for another championship.